- A U.S. citizen wrongfully placed under immigration hold in Leon County is preparing for a potential lawsuit.
- Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez and his attorney are claiming wrongful arrest, especially considering the hold a judge placed on the immigration law under which Gomez was arrested.
- Watch the video to hear from Gomez, his attorney and his mother about the shaking experience and what's next to come.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Kenya Cardonne in the Southwest Tallahassee neighborhood at the Leon County Detention Facility, where more than a week ago, a U.S. citizen from Cairo, Georgia was held for pickup by ICE. Now that Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez has been released, his attorney tells us they are preparing for a potential lawsuit, claiming wrongful arrest.
Mutaqee Akbar, Attorney - “Juan did everything he was supposed to do. He had his documents, he showed his documents.”
Attorney Mutaqee Akbar is now representing 20-year-old Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez, a U.S. citizen from Cairo, Georgia, who was placed under immigration hold in Leon County.
It happened on April 15th. Gomez was a passenger in a car on the way to work in Tallahassee. Florida Highway Patrol pulled them over and collected the group’s state IDs after the driver said he did not have a driver’s license.
Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez - “Fue a chequear a su carro nuestro ID y luego dijo que nos bajaremos de la vez uno por uno.”
Gomez says the officer then went to his patrol car to check their IDs and then had everyone get out of the van, before arresting them for an unauthorized entrance into the State of Florida.
A viral social media video shows Juan’s mother, Sebastiana, in tears, holding his American birth certificate and social security card, begging for the community’s help in getting him released.
Akbar - “The law that he was arrested under, that immigration law, a federal court judge enjoined that. So, it's not even enforceable.”
It would be the second time within a week that Gomez, a U.S. citizen, would be put under immigration hold. During a separate arrest in Grady County days before, a booking report shows Gomez was placed under “Hold for ICE.”
On April 17th, Gomez was released from the Leon County Detention Facility, where community members protested against the situation.
Sebastiana Gomez Perez, Mother - “Es un poco difícil, pero es más difícil callar.”
More than a week later, Sebastiana says the entire experience has been difficult, but it’s more difficult to silence.
Gomez - “No me despidieron, pero ya no soy la misma persona de tener las mismas mentalidades de ir a trabajar otra vez.”
Gomez tells us he hasn’t been back to work, not because he’s been fired, but because he is no longer the same person with the same mentality to be able to return to work again.
Akbar - “What we’re looking at now is a potential lawsuit for wrongful arrest, and the reason why is that one: there was no probable cause to arrest him.”
Gomez’s criminal case has been dismissed and now his attorney is filing a notice for a civil lawsuit.
Gomez - “Que lleven todos los documentos por si los para la policía..”
As he navigates this shaking experience, Gomez has one piece of advice for everyone: always carry all of your documents in case the police stop you.
Akbar - “..And travel in groups if you can, travel in groups with other citizens, so other people can support you and also have other people that can reach out to family members or community advocates if you are wrongfully arrested.”
On April 18th, the hold on that Florida immigration law was extended through April 29th. In Southwest Tallahassee, Kenya Cardonne ABC 27.
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